Faith: Episode 18

It’s time for our good guys to turn the tables for once, and actually deliver some major blows to the baddies. Young finally starts acting like a general (whooo), though it throws him into a tailspin about his place in the world. If there ever was a reluctant hero, I swear.

EPISODE 18 RECAP

Young storms the almost-a-wedding party and plants a big swoony kiss on Eun-soo. It would be slightly more romantic if Ki Chul wasn’t clutching his pearls behind you, but that’s also the fun.

Eun-soo reels from the kiss (Can you blame the girl?) while Young turns to Deok-heung to make the point of the kiss clear: it makes this engagement null and void. That seems to be skipping a few steps, but basically he’s saying that he’ll get drawn and quartered to save her, yeah?

Deok-heung fumes and orders Young to be locked up, and he just gives Eun-soo a tiny reassuring smile before handing himself over to the guards. Please tell me that’s an I’m-just-gonna-break-out-anyway smile.

Meanwhile, Ki Chul’s army raids Gongmin’s humble makeshift palace, dressed as bandits. I don’t know why they expend a whole bunch of energy to shoot arrows into an empty courtyard, but they do, and then the Wonder Twins lead the way in.

The place is empty, but the tea on the table is still warm, so they give chase. At the same time, the king and queen’s carriage is being led into the mountains by the Woodalchi. Gongmin is a nervous wreck, but he holds Noguk’s hand to try and reassure her. Aw.

Young sits in his jail cell (I’m thinking we should just go ahead and move your bed and clothes in there.) and one of the guards joins him. It’s the guy he’s been trying to convince to jump ship back to Gongmin.

Young tells him that the king is in danger, and tells him to gather up as many men as he can to meet the entourage. He hems and haws about moving without royal orders, but Young points out that he so quickly defied royal orders when he and his men accepted bribes and turned on Gongmin, which the guard agrees with sheepishly.

He tells him to hurry, since the king has a list of their names and crimes – Young will clear them of mutiny, but they have to be on the winning side in order to do that.

I do love how casually Young sits in jail, giving orders and strategizing to protect Gongmin without moving an inch. It’s a nice parallel to Gongmin being the king despite the change of address – Young is still the general, even here.

He sends the guard away, and a few seconds later, the door to his cell opens, and Young just saunters out. Hee.

The king’s carriage gets stuck, and at the same time they get word that Ki Chul’s army is closing in on their location. Choong-seok says that some of them will have to stay behind to hold the line, and says to Joo-seok: “I can only give you ten men.”

I love the moment, because you just know ten men are not enough, but Joo-seok bows and upholds his duty without a word.

Choong-seok and the remaining warriors lead the king and queen deeper into the mountains on foot.

Ki Chul asks Deok-heung for the doctor now, because they’re running out of time and there’s no telling when the door to heaven will open. Deok-heung muses bitterly that Young knew they wouldn’t harm Eun-soo, and so pulled that stunt figuring he’d be the only one to land in jail.

Deok-heung is still nervous about handing over his last card without having secured the throne, but Ki Chul reminds him (in an awesomely exasperated tone) that he’s got 400 men after Gongmin and Young’s locked up in prison: “What more do you want?!”

Ki Chul says through gritted teeth that he’s played along because of the doctor, but his patience is starting to wear thin. Frankly, given your temperament, I’m surprised you lasted this long without killing the man. He gives Deok-heung a day to hand over the doc, and storms out.

Deok-heung goes to see Eun-soo, furious that she ruined their plan to have all of Goryeo. Dude, you’re missing the whole part where she was never in on that plan to begin with.

He pins her against a wall, and so she pulls out the swift moves she learned from Young, and whirls around with a dagger to Deok-heung’s throat. Nice. She holds the knife there and brags that she learned well, “But… I only learned up to here…” HA.

So she pulls back and just tells him not to come any closer, “Because I don’t like you.” He calms down and tells her that Young escaped, to which she smirks, “I knew he would.”

And then he asks… for her to save him. Huh? To the woman wielding a knife at you? He says that if he gives her to Ki Chul, he has no more cards to play, and wasn’t she planning on running away from Ki Chul anyway in the end? She can’t deny that.

He asks her to run, and to Choi Young of all people, because he’ll protect her best. I’m still failing to see how this will benefit you, but so far I like the plan. He asks her to hide just long enough for him to be crowned by Yuan.

It’s a plan she has no problem agreeing to, since it involves her running away with Young and she knows this guy won’t be king anyway, at least according to her history. So she quickly says okay.

At that, he gets up and pricks her wrist – another poison, this one milder, but an insurance policy so that she’ll come to him when called. *headdesk* AGAIN? So. Tired. Of samey sameness.

With his aunt’s help, Young goes to arrest the contingent of the royal guard that isn’t on their side. They fight back, making Young snippy about being on a schedule.

Hwasuin and Eum-ja reach the king’s carriage, but find it empty. If there are really 400 men in this army, could we at least see more than twenty of them?

Joo-seok and the ten Woodalchi attack, but they’re not strong enough to hold the line. Poor Joo-seok goes down, and Hwasuin and Eum-ja walk on through without even lifting a finger.

He darts up at the last moment to go after Hwasuin, but she stabs him clean through the chest, and smiles as he falls dead. Poor heroic Joo-seok. For your sake I’ll imagine that this whole sequence was directed better.

Choong-seok leads the king into a hideout, and Gongmin asks after Joo-seok, remembering him as the Woodalchi who delivered news of Young when he was accused of being traitor, offering up his life to do so.

Gongmin says he remembers Joo-seok, and all the Woodalchi, who have been with him all this time. He frets that Young holds all his men dear, and if anything should happen to them, he couldn’t bear being responsible for losing Young’s men.

Just then, Dae-man scurries in to say the enemy broke through, and Flute Boy and Firestarter are on their way. Damn.

But that’s a sign for Choong-seok to go with Plan Z, as ordered by Young. He tells the king and queen to take off their robes. In walk two warriors, prepared to be their body doubles. Aww yeah.

Gongmin understands what he means, but refuses to comply and let these people die in his place. Choong-seok says his orders are to take the king and queen into the palace, while Young cleans house and prepares for their arrival.

He makes it clear that if Gongmin won’t come willingly, he’ll carry him there. Ha. I’m nursing a major crush on Choong-seok right now. They start to disrobe the king and queen, and Choong-seok orders the remaining warriors to hold this position for as long as they can.

Meanwhile, Young is busy collecting royal guards, which basically consists of: See those traitors over there in the ropes? Wanna join them, or join us and be cleared of your recent bout of mutiny?

It’s rather effective as far as persuasive arguments go. There’s even a handy visual aid of the guys who refused, kneeling in ropes. Mostly he finds the process entirely too slow for his liking, which makes him say everything in this droll tone that I love.

Gongmin gets led through the woods in plain clothes, and he keeps looking back, thinking of all the people who are dying in his place. We see more Woodalchi fall, and then the doubles for the king and queen, cut down soon after.

Choong-seok stops the group when he hears someone approach. They freeze, and then a group of royal guards comes out. The Woodalchi draw their swords… but then the guards kneel, “We have been sent by Choi Young to escort the king to the palace.” Excellent. The boys smile for the first time in days, relieved to hear their leader’s name.

Someone comes by to whisper some news into Young’s ear, and it sends him running. Aw, he’s running to Eun-soo, isn’t he? He bursts into the hospital where she’s waiting to see him, and he runs up to grab her in a bear hug.

He asks why Deok-heung let her go – she didn’t make some other deal, did she? She pouts, “I cried.” Young looks at her incredulously, “You… cried? And so he let you go? Because… you cried?”

She nods and swears it’s true, the lying liar, and tells Young to hurry and get back to work to receive the king. She says she just missed him and wanted to see his face, and he promises to come see her later.

Hwasuin returns to report from her day of king-chasing, and Ki Chul gapes, “It wasn’t the king?” She confirms that she checked the dead bodies and it was definitely not Gongmin and Noguk they killed today.

Ki Chul finds all of this bothersome, and waves away his minion’s concerns. The only thing he cares about is Eun-soo, and he gleefully announces that he gets to take her from the palace tomorrow.

By now Eum-ja and Hwasuin, and even his loyal minion, all start to see Ki Chul as slightly loony. He in turn can’t fathom why everyone isn’t as excited as he is about the chance to go to heaven, like it never occurred to him they wouldn’t want to step into some portal to the unknown.

Deok-heung rushes to hide Hwata’s artifacts under the floorboards, and prepares to make a run for it. But Young meets him for a face-off.

Each of them charges the other with his crimes… but the guys with the pointy swords are on Young’s side. Soon Deok-heung is surrounded, and we can all clap and put on our party hats.

By morning, Gongmin and Noguk arrive safely, where Young is there to greet them. Gongmin just says to him somberly, “I’m sorry,” before walking inside.

Young takes in the news and swallows back his reaction. The others can’t and start to cry, but the way Choong-seok and Young remain the stoic leaders breaks my heart more. Young flashes back to the day he sent Joo-seok with a message to the king, with a half-joking apology in case he dies.

Jang Bin checks out Eun-soo’s dose of poison in her arm, and says they’ll have to try and make an antidote. He wonders if she’s not going to tell Young, but she says she can’t possibly add to his worries at a time like this.

Young sits by his soldiers’ memorial altar numbly, not even realizing that Gongmin has walked in. They launch into an argument right away, each claiming responsibility for the lost Woodalchi.

Gongmin says they died defending him, but Young argues that he should’ve been there, and they died because he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Dude, you can’t be everywhere at once, saving everybody all the time!

He blames himself for being locked up and not being at his post, “And that’s why your majesty had to leave the palace, and that’s why my children died.” He obviously means children figuratively meaning his boys, but I love that he calls them that.

Young adds that Gongmin asked him once, who mattered to him most. “She was always first.” Whoa. Should you be saying that?

He continues that he doesn’t really know his true heart for the nation of Goryeo, and that the king shouldn’t keep such a person who’s thinking such thoughts by his side.

If you’re warning the king about the threat that you might pose, then aren’t you still protecting him? He really doesn’t know how to be any other way, does he?

Gongmin eyes fill with hurt and disappointment, and he asks what he should do about it then. Young asks for him to let him go. Noooo!

Gongmin tells him to show up tomorrow when they’ll charge Deok-heung and Ki Chul with their crimes, and postpones the rest for later. I like that Gongmin’s strategy with Young wanting to leave is always to say he’ll decide later. I wonder if he’ll get a lifetime of service from him by saying, “Later.”

Eun-soo makes herself a calendar and starts crossing days off. She smiles when Young comes to see her, and wishes she could offer him a beer, but tea will have to do. She shares what Deok-heung told her – that something would come from Yuan in ten days’ time, which would make him king.

He asked her to hide for that time and not get caught by Ki Chul. Young asks if this is her idea of hiding, and she just cutely answers that if she’s discovered, “someone” can protect her.

She knows he must be having a hard time with the loss of his men, and she holds up sheets of papers, saying that this is from a movie. Is she going to Love Actually the Woodalchi? Who can’t read hangul?

She starts to read the pages aloud as she holds them up, but then we see that there’s a twist – she’s written him a message but isn’t reading aloud what she wrote.

Message: It’s okay / Eun-soo: It’s okayMessage: I’ll be by your side / Eun-soo: Don’t worryMessage: Until that day / Eun-soo: Everything will go wellMessage: Can I do that? / Eun-soo: Right?

He smiles and answers yes. He gets up to go, promising to keep her safe here while he figures out a way to keep Ki Chul at bay, “And then I’ll take you there myself, to heaven’s door.”

Ki Chul storms into the prison, furious at the turn of events. He demands his doctor, insisting that the envoy from Yuan will be here in a few days to give Deok-heung what he wants.

Deok-heung wonders if maybe he can’t spring him from jail in the meantime: “There are no books here, and no badook.” Pffft. Are you really that simple, or are you just pretending to be a simpleton in front of Ki Chul?

What’s even funnier is the way Ki Chul finally blows a gasket, with a comical Oooooft! He very nearly swears too. I hope you’re regretting the choice to join forces with this guy, ’cause I don’t even like you and I wished better things for you.

The queen sighs that Gongmin hasn’t slept a wink since they’ve returned, and she decides she doesn’t like this palace. She finds him lost in thought and urges him to rest.

He tells her that the things he has to do tomorrow are weighing on him: He’s going to take a bold step, but the cost will be the lives of his people, just like the Woodalchi who died to protect him.

Noguk guesses right away that he means to wage war with Yuan, and he asks if she’s okay with that—it’s her country. She says that it was her country, and he asks if she means that Goryeo is now her nation.

Noguk: “Forgive me, but it doesn’t much matter to me what the name of my country is. If it is the place where my husband can rest peacefully, that is enough for me.”

He smiles and says that Young said the same thing to him once—that he’d go where his heart led him.

Gongmin gathers his advisors the next day, and presents records of Ki Chul siphoning off the state’s money for personal use. Well that’s not even a surprising accusation for anyone, is it?

And then he says that he was attacked on his way back to the palace, and calls in a member of the royal guard who reports that twenty assassins have been captured, and they have confessed to being Ki Chul’s men.

Ki Chul still isn’t deterred, and feigns surprise that members of his private army would do something like that. He promises to capture and punish those responsible. Young speaks up to say they’re already on it, so he needn’t help.

Gongmin delivers the true blow: while they investigate, Ki Chul is sentenced to house arrest. Okay, that’s perfect. It’s the thing that puts him over the edge, because all he really cares about is taking the doctor to the portal. He whines, “But! I have someplace I have to be!”

Eun-soo tries to look for any secret messages in her diary pages, holding them up to sunlight and candlelight, but no dice. She’s clearly been at it for hours, because her hair-o-meter is at Deep Thought.

She’s so frustrated she falls backward in her chair, but of course Young shows up to tilt her back into place, and just nonchalantly tells her to carry on. He puts his feet up to read (Eun-soo: “You can read?” heh) and she freaks out that he might mess up her antidote experiments.

He nags her about her hair again, but that’s when he notices the bandage on her arm. She tries to hide it but he unwraps it and freaks out. The tiny pin prick is now the size of an egg. Ruh-roh.

He demands to know what this is, now realizing that she’s doing antidote experiments for herself. Young: “Why didn’t you tell me?! Am I still that far away?! That you don’t feel the need to tell me these things? Am I still that far from you?”

She of course says the same logical things we’d all say: that last time was the king’s seal, so what would Deok-heung demand this time? And how many times is he going to be captured to save her? She says with tears in her eyes that he’s too important a person to be doing things like that.

Young: “Is that why… you’re so far away?” Aw.

He turns to walk out, and she calls out after him to wait. She runs up behind him in a backhug, and asks him not to turn around.

Eun-soo: I’ll ask just ask one thing. Should I… not go? Can I stay? Can’t I?Young: Even after being poisoned, how can you say such words?Eun-soo: Then I’ll ask it this way: The remaining days, I’m going to like you the way I want, day by day. Can you forget once I’m gone? Not living aimlessly, sleeping aimlessly, but forget it all?Young: Forget?Eun-soo: Promise me you will.

She cries into his back, as he stands there sighing, not knowing how to answer.

The Suribang boys do some recon for the mysterious person’s arrival from Yuan that Deok-heung is waiting for, but get attacked and scamper.

Ki Chul breaks some pottery to calm his raging anger and orders Eum-ja to break Deok-heung out of jail and bring him here alive… so that Ki Chul can kill him with his own hands.

Meanwhile, Gongmin has Deok-heung brought up to see him, and asks him a question: Is there anything more important to him than the nation of Goryeo? Deok-heung wonders if Gongmin likes his answer, he might let him be king.

Gongmin agrees sportingly to do so. Deok-heung thinks about it, and answers, “There is. Myself.” He asks if Gongmin likes his answer. Gongmin: “I do. Because it means I make a better king than you.” Ha.

He lets Deok-heung go, when Young storms in to tell Gongmin about him poisoning Eun-soo, and asks him not to release the bastard. But Gongmin insists he has his reasons, and lets him go. Drat.

Young asks why, and Gongmin explains that a royal attaché is headed here, bearing the Yuan emperor’s nomination for Deok-heung to be king. Any act against him now would amount to waging war against Yuan.

He knows the explanation is disappointing to Young even as he gives it, and Young just bows and says he gets it, and walks out. Flute Boy and Firestarter arrive to fetch Deok-heung, but he sees them and flees the other way.

A mysterious letter arrives for Eun-soo, and Young takes it inside. She jokes that if it’s a love letter he’ll have to write her reply for her, and asks him to read it. He does, and then looks up at her with a look that worries me…

Young: “We have to run away. The envoy from Yuan wants… you.”

COMMENTS

Get in line, mister! Who doesn’t want her? And does this mean that we’re just going to do another round of Everybody Wants Doc, with yet another player in the game? I hope it points to an escalation of conflict, say between the two countries, rather than a just another spin on the same ride. When Gongmin said that killing Deok-heung would lead to war, I actually thought: That’d be awesome! Some excitement around here!

I thought that Gongmin had the most interesting story in this episode, and really wished for a little (okay a lot) more grandeur for the king, both in the attack on his warriors and in his return to his rightful place. Thankfully the character is played with depth, so I feel the sense of growth from him. The parallel between Young and Noguk putting love before country was a nice moment for him, because he seemed mad that Young chose Eun-soo over him (aw, bad day for bromance), but then when Noguk chooses him over Yuan, we get the sense that he finally understands.

I actually wondered at Young’s request for Gongmin to let him go, because he finally seemed like a general to me in this episode, doing the smart thing by staying put and giving orders. I feel like every other time, he’s done the stupid and rash thing by having to run off by himself and save the day all alone, for no apparent reason other than it’s the only thing he could think of at the time. So then is he reverting back to that? And is it because of the deaths of his men and his guilt that he wasn’t there to save them?

Eun-soo’s outburst in this episode was a nice reciprocal gesture to Young’s kiss, because so far, she hadn’t shown him that she felt the same way. They always talk with this pretext of saving each other or protecting each other, but rarely do they actually speak of romantic feelings. So it was great to have Young push a little, by asking why she’s always so out of reach. And though she says it in a roundabout way, I thought the sentiment was really lovely—that she’s afraid of loving him freely because then leaving him might make him revert to the way he was when she met him, and he’s too important to history to be left that way. The problem is that the feelings are already there, so there’s really no undoing that. There’s just preparing for the other thing, and bracing for impact.

October 9, 2012 at 8:24 PM

October 9, 2012 at 8:51 PM

OMG I'm actually first! Its the first time I'm first (for a recap)! Heehee.

Anyway:
1. NOO my Woodalchi.. I will mourn for you.

2. Young is super hot in this episode. I really like the fact that its so clear to all that Eun Soo is Choi Young's woman, and any plan/scheme involving her has to take Young into account as well.

3. Deok Heung that smarmy bastard. He's just plain annoying at this point. I just want him to accidentally poison himself and die.

4. I am SO CURIOUS about the whole time travel thing. Previously I thought that Eun Soo and Young definitely won't end up together, because of history. But now that she's trying to change history, and she's having second thoughts about going into the portal - maybe they might their happy ending after all? It would totally suck if she's stuck in this time loop trying to save him. :(

October 10, 2012 at 2:17 PM

October 10, 2012 at 12:34 AM

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really? i try to search about Choi Young history/literature bcoz im soo curious about his life story, bu t i didnt found anything that related to his private life other than what his dad told him about gold and stone-things

October 10, 2012 at 11:53 PM

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[SPOILER FROM HISTORY]

Supposedly Choi Young's second wife's surname was Yoo from the Gwanggaeto Stele. Or so the account goes. And he loved her very much, but it doesn't report her first name. The report also says that the writer changed the name *to* Yoo after reading about it.

If you read up on the Yuan Empress, you also can get spoilers about the oncoming events. Viki has a history thread on it.

October 10, 2012 at 9:15 AM

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Read the same thing at a Soompi thread that according to a Livejournal writer that according to a Chinese Baidu thread...whatever that is...the surname of his wife was Yoo. But it's such a flimsy bit of info. Still one can hope.

Well, I don't care what history said...this is only a drama after all! They're not making a Documentary. SO. IT. BETTER.BE.HAPPY.EVER.AFTER!...pretty please!

October 10, 2012 at 9:19 AM

October 9, 2012 at 9:23 PM

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I love your #3. I would love to see the scheming uncle accidentally poison himself with no antidote to save him. By the way, didn't Young forced some mega poison into him a couple of episodes back? Why is he still alive? Don't tell me scheming uncle conjured up some mega antidote to treat that already. *sighs* When will this guy die?

October 9, 2012 at 9:58 PM

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Young forced the same poison that Uncle gave Eun Soo down his (uncle's) throat, to force him to give up the antidote to save both himself and Eun Soo. That's why he didn't die, because he already had the antidote for that.

Lets hope he injects something into himself with no antidote whatsoever, muahahaha..

October 9, 2012 at 9:37 PM

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But that would seriously muck up the whole thing. If she doesn't return back to her time then she wouldn't go back in time as Hwata in her future => no myth about the heavenly healer => Choi Young wouldn't enter the portal to get the now non-existent heavenly healer => She doesn't even get to come to Goryeo with Young let alone live happily ever after with him. Unless of course if she figures out a way to go from Goryeo back in time as Hwata and do everything that the original Hwata did so the legend is born and Young can come get her in the future.

October 9, 2012 at 9:44 PM

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That makes me think, if she decides to stay behind and doesn't think to go back in time as Hwata to keep things in course, would she just poof disappear from Goryeo? Coz I mean she wouldn't have been there in the first place. lol. Now that would be funny. After all she'd done to stay with Young.

October 9, 2012 at 9:54 PM

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Haha yea the time travel thing is a total mindfuck. I don't know, maybe if she chooses to stay, she'd get to live happily with Young (without everyone fighting over her) and also put an end to the time loop she's in?

I don't think she's just poof! And disappear. That'd just be too tragic!

October 10, 2012 at 2:36 AM

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My theory - she could potentially stay until they are both old and wait for the next time the gate opens (it might be fuzzy memory on my part, but wasnt it like a 60-something year wait to the next opening if she misses this one?) That way, she gets her time with him until his death, then can go back to be the Hwata.

October 10, 2012 at 5:07 AM

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I wish there will be a season 2 for this drama. In order to make that possible is for CY and ES to be together and time leap when the portal opens, but only to wake up on another dimension, not the present day Korea. something like the Quantum Leap series hehe ... then the season 2 will be more on scifi than a historical drama . just love to see LMH doing more fighting and kicking ass.

October 10, 2012 at 11:17 AM

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We don't know the rules of this time traveling- who knows if it has rules? What if she stays now but goes through the gate when it opens 67(?) years later and that sends her back so that she becomes Hwa-Ta? And then when Hwa-Ta goes through the portal it sends her back to modern day Korea?

October 10, 2012 at 3:18 PM

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OMG that would really make sense! It would totally make sense that she would stay with him and then go away after CY's death, then would become Hwata and later come back to modern day...after all, Hwata was supposed to be old, so if she's an old lady then it would somehow fit. However, that would mean she would come back as an old person in modern day korea, which would be weird 'cause she is supposed to leave for one year only...

October 10, 2012 at 11:01 PM

October 9, 2012 at 10:32 PM

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Thank you so much for the recap!
The editing continues to be a problem for this drama, imho. The way they cut some of the scenes and move to the next one. There was one scene between CY and ES when the background music was fine, and they ended that scene with ALi's song, but that felt loud and not appropriate for the ending of the scene, imho. The scene in itself was fine and very telling of how the two feel about each other, but where and how they placed ALi's song was distracting and didn't seem to flow with the scene and its ending.

October 9, 2012 at 11:34 PM

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I know what scene you're talking about. It was definitely jarring. Despite the continued poor editing and directing, there was a lot I loved about this episode. Several moving moments. It's really all about the characters which are rich and varied.

Thanks for the great recap, GF! I lol'd at "her hair-o-meter is at Deep Thought." So funny.

October 10, 2012 at 4:43 AM

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May I complain about the writing, too? I mean we run in concentrical circles - just a little bit larger from one to another. Poisoning number one, poisoning number two, Ki Chul scheming to get Heavenly Doctor number one, Ki Chul scheming to get her number two and Yuwan sending for Heavenly Doctor number one. Is that all they can come up with? We are blessed with some great actors, otherwise this show would be a potentially great drama turned into a mess. And ”Big” was a big enough one for me. So enough fantasy dramas turned messy for one year already! (I know they are two kind of different sub genres, but..enough is enough!)

October 10, 2012 at 1:31 PM

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I will join you in complaining about the writing. All of the potentially interesting dramatic developments get resolved (or dropped) in 1 episode, or drawn out to 1.5 episodes. I'd stake money that this whole "Yuan wants the Heavenly Doctor" thing will be wrapped up at 40 minutes into episode 19.

I wish that there were some stronger "long game" arcs in this. I'll stick through the next 6 episodes, but mostly for LMH's prettiness and in the hope that we get some "Gi Chul in Gangnam" scenes once the door opens up again.

October 10, 2012 at 2:00 PM

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Oh, yes. I join you in hoping for some Ki Chul in ”Gangnam style” (in vain, I am afraid). That would be soooo killing hilarious. That one is a fantastic character, and played bya great actor. As a matter of fact so many characters have potential greatness. Even Evil Gang! They are really good at scheming and so smart. I even like a baddie if gifted with some brain. I cannot root for such, but I prefer some brainiac bad ass to some angelic idiot.
That is why - I think - I forgive so many writing/ directing/ editing flaws. It is more than refreshing to see a sparkling, smart, vibrant leading lady (plus the queen who is there not just a decorative piece of something). Add Kim Hee-Seon”s breauty (oh those memories from ”The Myth” brought back by her look in the last episodes!!), Lee Min Ho(t) looking deliciously good (I am not so convinced by his acting this time, he was better from my point of view in C.H.) and I will not cry for my many hours back. But there is some sadness thinking how would it look like if this show would have benefited from great directing and enough time for good writing and great editing. When do Korean industry learn to give time to their shows? SO many accidents, so many potentially good dramas turned flat and they still do film a week before just to cater the viewer fantasies in order to get those irrelevant numbers. (Yes, I am not alien, better ratings = more commercials, but is this the only way to make money from a drama? Does not a good drama stand more chances to be sold for better money? Well, I would love to understand this mechanisms in Korean way of thinking. And yes, please excuse me being carried away by my own frustrations.)

October 10, 2012 at 3:04 AM

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I think what girlfriday and others mean is that this show has had so much potential to be more fluid AND fluent in its flow and to be more beautiful visually. And that is really down to the directing and editing because the script, the performances, talent, concepts even the music are all very good and engaging but the director has failed to put all these things together. The packaging, flow and delivery is amateur at best and jarring at worst.

The fight scenes for example, like the ones between CY and KC could be so much more epic and grand but as girlfriday has stated before, the shots, the direction, the editing, the way the whole thing is put together is very pedestrian and this mediocre way of directing and editing just brings the whole drama down a few notches. Scenes could be so much greater in its breadth and width and scope so instead of something great, which this could have been, we get something okay/good.

October 10, 2012 at 9:52 AM

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Think of it this way: this looks like a tv show. (Lighting, shots, choice of film, what have you.) Which it is, of course. But if it looked like a MOVIE...and had better editing (better flow between scenes) it would lend a gravitas to this production that it does not, currently, have - despite the inherent assumption of epicness due to subject matter.

We love it because the characters are terrific, each in their own way. And so we forgive the cyclical nature of the plot and the clumsiness of the production, but we still know that it could have been more.

October 10, 2012 at 11:02 AM

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To be honest, I don't think the potential of the show was ever really "there." It's an interesting approach, but it also seems vaguely misconceived from the get-go.

The writing had different genres at play, court intrigue, magic, medical drama, time travel puzzle, teen-inflected romances, etc. BUT, the writing decided to focus on the mechanics of bureaucracy and alliance building.

The effect of the show is that it wants to be a fantasy sageuk, but it gets perpetually INTERRUPTED by a knotty, quirky chaebol workplace drama.

October 10, 2012 at 2:52 PM

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seems to me that when they have nothing else to show to stretch and squeeze more episodes, the production team throws in some oh-la-la moments with CY and ES every episode to keep me interested. but somehow, they should up the ante as i am getting more impatient where this entire show is leading...
now, now, i am not complaining - just sayin'....
coz i really love this show - and i love LMH.
i just don't want to disappoint myself .
now off to finish re-watching Zettai Kareshi and Bu Bi Jing Xin. :-) while waiting for Faith to wrap up...
"Gi Chul Gangnam Style"??? that will not be sooo bad.

October 9, 2012 at 8:41 PM

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Awww, I just loved all the "couple" moments in this episode. So great to see both of them owning up to their feelings even knowing that they are going to part. And it was sweet of CY to admit to the king that, for him, Eun Soo is first.

I'm really not sure I know exactly where we're going from here. But the inter-action between the OTP is enough for me to hope we're going somewhere that they're together. They really are just so adorable.

October 9, 2012 at 9:21 PM

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I don't know how we can possibly get an HEA in this one for the main couple. I've tried to figure it out, but can't seem to find a way. I guess is Eun Soo stayed in the past because there is really no way that Choi Young could come to the future. I'm fully expecting them to part ways and for tears to flow. But maybe the writters have something else figure out. I'm going along for the ride wherever we and the OTP end up.

October 10, 2012 at 6:05 AM

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she needs a clone. they will be able to clone in the near future, no? Her clone will then go back in time and will be the one waiting for Choi Young to pick her up (the first time). --> One Eun Soo will continue living in Seoul and one will be living in Goryeo

October 9, 2012 at 8:53 PM

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"I had to smack myself like 5 times during this episode. Poison. AGAIN. Seriously??"

You were not the only one facepalming! The writing has gotten more and more clunky over the last several episodes, and I've even been disappointed with the romantic storyline lately. Might just start skipping the episodes and reading the recaps only to find out what happens.

October 9, 2012 at 9:16 PM

October 9, 2012 at 9:23 PM

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I'm wondering as well about "imja". I'm thinking it's another way of saying "you". Kind of like Dongshin but maybe more formal? I just know that I LOVE the way Choi Young says it. Even if it is more formal the way he says it is totally intimate.

October 10, 2012 at 1:12 AM

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Thanks for clearing that up for me! By the way, could you help me find "the best sageuk translator" you've seen? Because I'm increasingly more interested in watching sageuk than watching other genres. I'm also trying to learn colloquial Korean, so I feel like I've set myself up for confusion!

October 10, 2012 at 4:49 AM

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You would better not skip the queen and king scenes. They are as lyrical and beautiful as the directing let them be and those actors did surprise me. Especially the queen - I could not see her potential in previous work of hers I have seen already so that is why she gets a big round of applause from me this time!

October 9, 2012 at 8:55 PM

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Loved this episode cause every character kind of went off their even keel. Loved Ki Chul's temper, it had me laughing cause he couldnt even get the words out, the one who always knew what to say to get things done his way, is completely lost now. Loved Eun-soo's admission, all that she was holding in, the depth of it, while seeming flippant, playful and logical. Really enjoyed the King and Queen now more two hearts walking as one compared to the earlier episodes. And Young's admitting to wanting to be "not so far" from Eun soo, his Hug was more warm than the Kiss, imho. I noticed a few inconsistensies - the fireling and the pipeling not sensing the empty King's make shift palace was weird to me. I thought 1 Woodalchi could take at the least 50 warriors,oh why!! why??? did those boys fall...it actually pained me to watch them die. I wanted them to be there until the end with Young, cause that would be one less Hurt for him, with Eun-soo leaving, sort of guaranteed.

Now I wait for next Monday...who would have thunk I would have Monday Morning Cheers :).

October 10, 2012 at 7:19 AM

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There are a lot of small flaws that if you pay attention to you will find it. Especially the time frame of time travelling, mostly you will find it to be linear with the present being the anchor, so a person moves forward or back in time, but not both, like how this story seems to read - Hwata being the far away future meeting the Far away past in the Goreyo era, and the present is like a hung jury.

Like you, I dont like it when they tell us how to feel, that has to be an open domain for the viewers. I think as an Actor LMH has grown, at the least he isnt over acting like he did in BBF. I liked the villains too.. they are all so unique in their darkness, and who would have thought Ki Chul was a villian interested in futuristic stuff. It was hilarious to watch his excitement over going to the future fall flat with his minions.

October 10, 2012 at 9:16 PM

I absolutely LOVE the film!! Love Actually is exactly as you have described it - too awesome for words for me!!

I second your recommendation to Ivoire to watch it! I bought the DVD so that I could re-watch its awesomeness over and over again.

And GF is just being her awesome self by referencing it. In fact, the moment ES started to hold up the large pieces of paper with the hand-written words, my mind instantly recalled the exact same part in Love Actually...apparently the Faith writer/s are familiar with such fantastic works in the West... ;)

October 9, 2012 at 9:02 PM

Okay. First thing first. I need to get this out my chest. The directing (not the scene) makes me want to cry. How I wish this drama was directed better.

Second of all, I am totally head over heels by Choi Young and Eun Soo. I find their relationship relatable because that's what human do all the time. Guarding their feelings, fearing what might come in the future, bracing for the hurts ahead... *tears*

And last but not least, I have a crush on Choong-seok too!! Choi Young is taken anyway.

Faith might not be the best drama of all time, but it somehow grabs my heart and won't let it go. I guess I'll be suffering much for the next 3 weeks.

October 9, 2012 at 9:04 PM

October 9, 2012 at 9:06 PM

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Thank you for the recap. :)

Really like this episode. Skinship between the OTP is great with the kiss and back hug. Awwww.....

Now with the cliffhanger, I want them to run away next episode! haha!
With the threat of Yuan, how is CY going to keep ES safe expect run? He can't fight all them soldiers from Yuan. But from this episode, there's only three people that we saw right? Guy that left the letter---if he's the same one who got the DH out, guy iside the cart(what ya call it?) and the guy riding outside of cart. If that's the Yuan envoy, they come ahead before the troops arrive?
Yes, I say run to the heaven's door. :P

October 10, 2012 at 7:31 AM

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The hand of someone in the carriage looked feminine, so I'll go into land of fantasy now and will imagine that she is CY's first love that actually escaped to Yuan after faking her death (the cloth of the sleeve looked black and red and escorting men were also dressed in black similar to Red Crescent Moon Army's colors). Thus, we would have an obstacle in CY and ES relationship...
Another surprise would come if there would be another person in the carriage as envoy -- maybe an older man, real Hwata who came to take his pupil back to present time so she would not meddle in the history too much... Or maybe he needs her help in some surgery... Just saying...

October 9, 2012 at 9:12 PM

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What this drama could have been kills me. And then sticks more knives in my corpse with each new episode. I can't just turn off and enjoy it for what it is, like you can with those bad dramas that scoot by on good directing or cute chemistry, because what it is is just blatantly untapped potential. From everyone. ARGH!

October 9, 2012 at 9:12 PM

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Another day of chronic resfreshing this site, and here its up! #ineedtogetalife but then wht is life w/o LMH? so Eun soo, if you cant drag his feet into living with pink trousers on in gangnam then by all means stick with him in Goryeo and reproduce the good genes..theres really NO OTHER WAY.
Dont even get me started with deuk heung.another poisoining really?! Im really so up with CY smashing u again but now with poison tht rots off your balls if u ever hv any + we get to drool over the hotness of apeshit lmh so its a win win.

October 9, 2012 at 9:19 PM

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Thank you for the recap.Been stewing over the Woodalchi fight scenes since I saw it.Couldn't they have gotten more extras?The martial arts or fight director needs to be sacked.You build up these mighty warriors right?But make them die so pathetically?Like him just being slaughtered in 3 strokes?Or the false King and Queen standing pathetically.So the woman doesn't or hasn't seen the King before with all their spying?There's no need at the end when you want everyone killed for the importers to just stand there and be killed.Details the drama is just really poor with it.

October 9, 2012 at 9:51 PM

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I am with you over this. I don't know why the Woodalchi supposedly elite warriors ,were made to seem pathetic. On one hand I am supposed to feel sad that so many died,yet I also felt no wonder they died as they were shown to be not good fighters. Very little resistance were shown. They were falling like dominoes.

October 9, 2012 at 9:19 PM

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Thank you so much. I love your comments!
From episode 1 to 17, I had been reading your recaps before watching the episode. But, because of Young and Eun-Soo's kiss, I watched the episode first BEFORE reading your recap. But just so you know, I still LOVE your recap, especially your opinions/criticism. LOL. They make the episodes even better!

This episode was so sad though, because so many people died :( It was such a heartbreaking episode. I was so close to crying my eyes out, but couldn't do it because my family will think that I am crazy crying at my computer. LOL. When I was suppose to be doing other things on my computer instead... Hehehe...

I enjoyed the scene when Eun-Soo told Young that Ki-Chul was going to escort her to heaven's door but Young insisted that he will be the one doing it, even if he had to chain Ki-Chul's leg. This scene made me laugh because it reminds me of Arang and the Magistrate. It reminds me of the part when the Magistrate insisted that he will be the one sending Arang to heaven with new clothes, instead of Joo-Wal. Oh, I'm just loving this. I'm so excited for it too!!!

However, I feel so sorry for Eun-Soo and Young. Young is expressing his romantic feelings towards Eun-Soo but Eun-Soo is afraid to express her feelings towards him because she is afraid that when she leaves, he will be as heartbroken and withdrawn as when he was when his first love died. Please PD! Make it a happy ending!! Don't give me the star crossed lovers nonsense!!! If you do, then you.. are... so.... DEAD!

October 9, 2012 at 9:22 PM

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Thanks girlfriday. “Bad day for bromance.” Nice.

Objective thoughts: It took a while (like 18 episodes) but I am into the plot. Standard royal court chaos continues with who’s on the throne now? The cost in lives to protect the King and Queen was very high. The Yuan envoy wants ES and CY thinks the two of them should skedaddle. Off to Heaven's door....

Subjective thoughts: Sobbing in broad daylight is what I did all afternoon. I am mourning the slain Wudalchi. CY carrying the weight of the (14th century Goryeo) world on his shoulders got to me too. As per usual, he blames himself for everything. 24 Wudalchi kids killed. Decoy king and queen scarificed. ES poisoned-again. It sucks. And the thought of CY/ES parting cuz time is running out, it's too much. ES wants to protect him and shields him from information, but that only makes CY feel distant. It’s a bitter dose of your own medicine, CY. ES confesses, “Should I stay or should I go?” I go girl/kaa-ray-zee when CY does the silent macho with his back to ES. That oh so handsome ¾ profile, you perfect man, you. Turn around and kiss her!!

By-the-by thoughts: Favorite 14th century word for this episode: sod (as in “foolish sod”). Heh.
Love the 3 Suribangs (tall Androgynous One, and the two merry little archers) I predict they will be inducted into the elite Wudalchi warriors.
I just know Lady Choi has something up her sleeve. She’s the linchpin. Fighting!
Pathetic bad guys~rot in hell. Whassup with the celadon vase-breaking rampage thrown by Ki Chul? He's lost it.
I am missing a long sweeping CY/ES kiss, though.

October 9, 2012 at 9:49 PM

October 9, 2012 at 9:24 PM

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With 6 episodes left to go (if it is not extended), I am already dreading the inevitable – the heartbreakingly, soul-crushingly, earth-shatteringly, mind-numbingly, excruciatingly painful separation, loss and tragedies. From the get-go, we all KNOW it will be pure, unadulterated torture for the centuries-crossed lovers to part but what we all want to know, and is waiting with bated breath (or at least I am), is HOW the writer/PD will spin this tale till the end...

This episode’s highlights for me are :

1. The fallen Woodalchi men – waaaaahhhhh!!!!! My heart breaks for you and the ones you left behind.

2. The meaningful interactions between the characters :

- between CY and Gongmin, when they were blaming themselves for the fallen Woodalchi men and when CY made Gongmin realise how love can change people, realities, LIVES;

- between CY and ES – how truly bittersweet their every word, look and touch, knowing what they know and cannot change or avoid but all the while wishing with all their heart they can;

- between the villains – never before have I encountered drama villains that I LOVE to watch go berserk with anger because they do it so entertainingly!!! Ki Chul!! You are too adorable of a villain for me to just, simply, you know, HATE you!! Hahaha!!! While Deok Heung is proving to be such a wimpy wimp of the greatest degree, he is just becoming a toothless (and hilarious) villain, what with him pleading with ES to SAVE him???!!!! Hahaha!!!

I am going into hibernation mode now till next Monday...see you next Monday...snoooooooze...

October 9, 2012 at 9:43 PM

October 9, 2012 at 9:44 PM

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This is actually the ep where I feel for the otp. I'm tired of Eunsoo being 'oblivious' about her own feeling, how she still wondered why Young would react to that extreme for her?! all while unknowing that she's doing the same for him! So I'm glad she breaks it down in this ep. When he discovered her being poisoned and asked why they're so far away, was kind of heartbreaking. I agree that until now Eunsoo hasn't showed many signs of affection that makes me believe she really really likes him too. But that scene made me think about this otp future for the 1st time. I started caring for them more.
I liked that Young was honest to GM about Eunsoo always coming first, though it might not please the later, I believe by the end GM will realize he still can be a good king without Young by his side. And I want to think that it's a sign our hero willing to 'give up' everything to start anew with his woman. I've a theory, not a happy one, Eunsoo time travelling was to save Young's life several times so he could live on as in history, and only then her future self would be born. like if he didn't live she wouldn't exist either. man, please give us a 'proper' ending at least, promise I'll overlook/erase all those poor directing/editing.

October 10, 2012 at 8:35 PM

October 9, 2012 at 9:51 PM

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Thank you! Your recap is the bestthe very best. I loves the back hug so much. Those writers knew exactly what to write. They my fellow reader friends, has the best job in the world. Please pretty please keep up the good amazing enchanting work 
As for CY and ES relationship progress, I couldn't ask for more. It's perfect. How CY towards ES is just like that refrain from Treyz Song Simply Amazing, ehem (clears throat), she ain't perfect but she's worth it, every breath I breathe for the life of me, And I know I might not deserves it, but she plus me it's simply amazing.
Then again, how CY toward ES is just like that whole song.
I promise, should those two become separate, it will broke my heart. But their affection to each other is forever cherised...

October 9, 2012 at 10:11 PM

I wish they had more skinship romance from the very beginning.I think that's what is sorely missing in this boring drama. Reminds me of a cheesy low budget written drama.

Finally, Eun Soo tells her heart to Choi Young. I wished it happened a few episodes sooner. So sad..Tears.. Hate back hugs.. Finally, a HOT kiss..

Gongmin and Noguk are a Hottie team! Yeah! Too bad about their sad real story.

I like the beginning of the when Choi Young was in modern times. The story was more awesome and interesting then.History would change, but in this case, I wish all of them would run together through the heaven's door!!!!

October 10, 2012 at 12:41 PM

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Hello Ruthie08,

And no, you are not the only one. I noticed him from the 1st time I saw him on the show, and he reminded me of Hyun Bin, the actor. I think he kind of looks like HB or at least has some similar features or something. I always enjoy watching him and I loved watching him cry in this episode (him and Oh Dae-man, CY's puppy and very loyal "child" :-)) when they were talking about how many men fell and died. Aside from the main characters, I really LOVE watching the Woodalchi men who I (personally) think are doing an awesome job being and staying in character throughout the drama.
And I agree with you, Yoon Gyun-Sang (Deok-man) is tall and attractive.

Here are a couple of pictures for you:
1--http://sheila-hmd.blogspot.com/2012/09/oon-gyun-sang-ll-profile.html
I personally think he looks like HB here, circa "The World Within" drama (meaning this is how HB looked like around the time he did that drama).

2--http://asianwiki.com/Yoon_Gyun-Sang
This is just some basic info about YGS.

October 9, 2012 at 10:30 PM

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but, but! Lee Min Ho is a really really good actor - I am totally convinced by him. He isnt letting the lack of grandeur bother his performance. He is doing HIS job perfectly. It just shows that whatever the surroundings, he is a guy who just gives his best in all circumstances.

October 9, 2012 at 10:36 PM

October 9, 2012 at 10:54 PM

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Lets say that Eun soo goes back to her world..leaving Choi young to fulfill his destiny as great warrior..and in present 2012 She some how finds a person who loves her very much even....to the point to under go plastic surgery to have face like Choi young..And that would be most dumbiest ever ending...hahaha.mindfreak that I am..
Finger crossed to have surprising story for the remaining 6 episodes...Come on Mesmerize us..Tantalize us with the Turn over story with sensible ending...I dont know anymore what I want..
Same old again..Eun soo posioned..Choi young dealing with DH..and at the same time king is set for CoUp de tat..and Jang Bin saying it takes month for poison to take hold of body..Seriously all the circumstances are still except for growing feelings and confessions among king,queen,choi young,Wadachi,,and...
I cant figure out whatvhappens next except if this goes same as previous eps like CY going for antidote..and *Bang Boom* AmBush..and again Eun Soo stepping Out as helping hand..
Ahhhh This drama is driving me crazy And this is not a riddle or puzzle or mathematics that I could scribble over the page..You yes YOU are driving me insane...Though I want to Figure out Whats Coming Up...Patience...pAtience...LOL

October 10, 2012 at 12:45 PM

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Or, how about ES comes back to the present, but somehow misses 2012 and lands earlier.

She puts the televsion on and almost falls over in shock.
It's Lee Min Ho starring in BOF on the tv.
She runs to the station and finds out that CY was discovered wandering around Seoul looking for her, and before he knew it was cast as the lead in a drama.
He figured the fastest way to find her was to get his face on TV.
IT WORKS! They reunite and live HEA!!

October 9, 2012 at 11:03 PM

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Yay!! Thank you for the recap Girlfriday! Been refreshing at every opportunity til I saw this, hehe.. I love your recaps! Actually, I'm going to wait until I watch the episode first before I read your recap but I'm happier knowing that it's there.. (and I took a sneak peek at the comments, hehe).
Lee Min-ho <3

October 9, 2012 at 11:06 PM

October 9, 2012 at 11:32 PM

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Isn't it the on the 1st ep Hwata is being chased by the minions of ruler named Jojo to be a royal doctor and only for him alone. So Hwata refused and jumped into the portal when it opens.

This is it, history repeats itself. Those Yuan envoys is after ES and with few days left for the portal to open (as per ES calculations) ES will eventually be back to modern Korea. CY will be what history says he is (great general) because for me, most kdrama OTP end up in tragic. I could only count few kdrama that end up happily ever after.

Or maybe like fushigi yuugi, CY will be reincarnated in modern korea as another person where ES will meet and become her husband.

October 9, 2012 at 11:53 PM

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One thing about this drama, you cannot predict the ending. We don't know what is going to happen. There is this element of surprise in every episode. Actually, the kiss was unpredictable. I never expected it. I am hoping it will be a happy ending. Anyhow, kudos to LMH for giving his all despite the poor ratings. Well, you can't win them all. However, he's such a big star and the producers can always look forward to having this drama shown in different parts of the world, as he has a big fanbase. I am missing him already as we only have 6 episodes left. I hope he will have a reunion project with Hye Sun. I love them both. It would be nice to see them together again.

October 10, 2012 at 2:25 AM

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i am satisfy enough with Young's answer to the king that Eun Soo always comes first before nation. This is a metaphore from Young who is always consistent with his words that he keeps his heart close and do his duty to nation.
Gong Min doesn't realize that he himself and most of statesmen are giving Young many hard times even when Young's life is at the edge.
After his sweetheart death, Young lives like a zombi , with no aim, goal, willing to live, just flesh and blood. And just when Eun Soo comes not long ago, slowly outside and inside without awareness he changed. he dressed clean cut and tidy, keep his hair tide up, just like a normal guy who has someone in his heart. But i am afraid that Young can't hold himself after Eun Soo gone, that to keep his mind in straight. His behaviour when Eun Soo wasn't there already seen in ep 17 that for a while he can't figure out what to do next. I am agree with Eun Soo Young can not go back to live as before when he met Eun Soo.

October 10, 2012 at 2:58 AM

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am i the only one who seriously cant see the chemistry between young and kim hee sun(lol they always call her doc i cant even remember the characters name)?? im of the same opinion as said in the podcast, the storys premise is great and i actually really like it, just really effing slow in development, actors are great except for a flawsrevealed lmh

but seriously not once have i felt the spark between the two, not once have i felt omg i cant wait for the confession!, omg skinship! its so flat between the two it brings back nightmares of one of my first stage roles, 17 and playing a grown up wine drinking couple with my equally unstagefriendly gay friend, shudder**

October 10, 2012 at 3:00 AM

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Ok, I head-desked as well when DH poisoned ES again. But after thinking about it (from a writer's point of view) it makes sense for the story.
ES was thinking about staying there with CY forever. But if she does, Future ES will never exist and she will never write her diary, and CY will die in that trap.
Crap.

So I gave some thoughts about this whole time traveling stuff, let's see.

- The poison ES has been injected is very slow. She has a month before the fever appears and after that 7 more days before she dies.

- I don't know if CY and ES will really run now that they know Yuan wants her, but either way I think she won't be able to keep on trying to get the antidote.

- Since it will be the only way to save her, ES will go through Heaven's Gate when it opens again. CY will stay behind. Either he shoves her in so that she can be treated, or he protects the Gate so nobody else can enter (maybe against the Yuan men who want her?). I think this will happen either in episode 23 or 24.

- Now they are separated. ES is cured in a hospital and after she recovers, she tries to find a way to go back. Sometimes along the way, she finally crosses the Heaven's Gate again, just to find herself before CY was even born. I believe that is the scene we saw when she was treating a little boy and then writing her diary. Somehow I don't believe the boy to be CY... I actually think he will be little KC or maybe his father. That would explain why he has her stuff later on.

Then... who knows? It all depends if the writer wants to give us a happy ending or not.

Future ES wrote in that diary a series of numbers which she thinks are the dates when Heaven's Gate is open. But if you watch the scene in episode 10, we see there are 5 underlined lines in the diary. Could they be the dates she can use to go to specific times? Could one of them be the one she can use to travel back to CY?

If she's really Hwata, maybe that could explain the mystery: maybe the gate that will lead her to CY would just open at Hwata times? So she had to travel back to be Hwata before she could travel forward to be with CY again.

Or maybe she travels back to be Hwata first, then finds her way to treat little KC (or whoever that boy is) and leave her stuff behind, and then finally she goes back to CY.
Otherwise she's stuck in the time loop forever. And I personally fly to Korea to beg the writer to write another story where they are together in the end :(

October 10, 2012 at 6:36 AM

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Well, a lot needs to happen yet. We still have 6 episodes to go after all, a bit too much for them to be constantly on the run.
We still need to know what the 3rd relic was as well! Right now that's the only development I can think of, but we still miss some important clues.

October 10, 2012 at 9:40 AM

October 11, 2012 at 2:04 PM

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I think that the third clue is a photograph.

When the wooden box was opened by
Uncle Evil, (containing the leather-bound
diary, and the "extra" pages, along with
the metal case holding the rusty medical
implements) there seemed to be something
wrapped up in white fabric at the bottom
of the wooden box, so it looked to me as
if it could only be a flat photo. But what
do I know? :)

And "Faith" better have a happy ending,
although whenever...I......try to think up
a solution to the Hwata/time travel problems,
my brains fall out. Thanks a lot writers,
for making me crazy. :) :) :)

October 10, 2012 at 8:06 AM

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your theory makes soo much sense... i just wish that the drama has a good ending ..... i'l be soo disappointed if it does not... however all the signs are pointing to a wrong direction.. to a bad ending in which CY and ES have to part.... i guess i'l have to buy a dozen of tissue boxes early.. just to be prepared... i'm still hoping for the best (a good ending) but expecting the worst (a bad ending)

October 10, 2012 at 4:00 AM

Great couple scenes, I could really feel the desperation as GM and NK escaped and then the intensity between CY and ES when she came to see him and later on when they argued.

Hope to see some revenge on flute boy and fire girl for the Woodalchi guys , just hate those two. As for DH smh how could you poison someone twice? So intelligent but he just uses his knowledge for evil schemes, somebody lock him in a box full of snakes please ! When CY gets his hands on him it's gonna be epic.

Can't wait to see what happens next, oh the suspense!
Keep up the good work Faith! WOOT (does a Dae Man dance :D

October 10, 2012 at 6:45 AM

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Thanks for the recap. I thought it was a good episode but there was this heavy feeling of Deja Vu. Like Wheels spinning but not going further. Yes, the love story advanced. But poisoned again? Someone else wanting Eun Soo? Eun Soo trusting her instincts --and the wrong guy-- yet again?

There is a certain peace one gets in accepting that the main plot of this story --which carries the action-- is primarily about the politics, while the subplot which carries the theme is about love, romance, trust. Once I accepted that, I figured I'd be okay with however little love was shown.

But I really have to say that the politics itself seems to go around in circles. Maybe that's how intrigue and court life really are but --aaargh!-- that sense of repetition really annoyed me. Couldn't any other political thing be found to push the political plot along? Heck, let the envoy arrive earlier while Choi Young is in prison. Or let there be a mega battle somewhere....or let usurper and Ki Chul really go at it in some mega battle. Let the Pledged Siblings do something awesome. Something new was need. All that talking --especially between vicious sub-plotters-- seemed kinda weak to me.

That said, I still like this show. But I could see the wheels of the screenwriter turning and turning in this episode trying to find the plot. And I think they missed it.

October 10, 2012 at 7:33 AM

October 10, 2012 at 7:34 AM

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My geek/sci-fi fan theory on the time travel...consider it from ES's timeline and then from the timeline of CY (and the king, the queen, and the rest).

1) In ES's timeline, she grows up knowing at least some of the history of CY's time, the past that has already happened. She gets taken by CY back to his present, and not having the benefit of the diary, she ends up changing history.

2) ES steps through the portal, going back to the present day. Upon checking out history she realizes that it has been rewritten (perhaps CY has died at a young age, instead of having a daughter and becoming a famous general for many years). Perhaps her choices have triggered much greater consequences up to the present day, like Korea being under control of China, or Japan/Germany winning WWII.

3) So, ES figures out when the portal reopens, and then goes back further into the past, becoming known as Hwata.

4) As Hwata, she plants the evidence needed for her to figure things out when she is taken by CY to his present. This is not only for her to save CY, but to also restore history as she previously knew it. She has to be clever in order to create the evidence in a way that she will be able to figure it out but not anyone else in that time period.

5) Next in ES's timeline, she steps into the portal again (we see this in the first episode).

We don't know, at least yet, of any more steps to this timeline.

Then we have the timeline that CY, the king, the queen, Ki Chul, Deok-heung, etc. are living. This is the story the show is actually telling.

1) CY steps through the portal, finds ES, and takes her back to his present to save the queen. This is the same as the beginning of step one in ES's timeline.

2) The story progresses, but because ES in step four of her timeline planted clues in the past, she now makes different decisions based on the additional knowledge, which affect CY and the others.

3) We continue with this timeline which deviates from how ES originally experienced it in her timeline.

4) At the end, ES does not go back to her original "present time" or to the past....she remains in this timeline, becoming CY's wife and bearing him at least one child.

Through ES creating the loop and/or paradox, the past and present as ES knew it at the first step in her timeline has been restored. In her re-written timeline, she no longer needs to go to the past. You could say that the loop was the opportunity to correct the timeline, and the trip further back in the past was no longer needed once the timeline was corrected, so it basically disappears off ES's timeline, and her timeline is now the same as CY's.

If this is what turns out to happen in the plot, expect all that evidence from the past to disappear at the end as well!

It may be a technicality but ES doesn't really live through it twice, she lives through it once, but the circumstances have changed.

October 10, 2012 at 10:50 AM

I think it's something coming from the future as well. I mean, it can't be a letter, or a painting, or anything a man of that historical age can recognize. It's maybe something technological?

The first thing that came to my mind is that special pair of eyeglasses ES uses when doing surgery.
But to be honest I hope I'm wrong.
While it would confirm ES is really Hwata, it wouldn't really add anything to the story...

October 10, 2012 at 3:31 PM

October 10, 2012 at 3:45 PM

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oooh, that would work perfectly! Of course it could be a cell phone or maybe even something from way way way in the future. But of what use would a cell phone be to her with no battery? I'm assuming the battery would not last for one hundred years. It has to be not only good for identifying her but it has to be useful too. Or else what use would it do to the plot? Ooh, maybe it's a photograph of her and Choi? Or something of them in the present? (uhmmm...groan...am thinking that wouldn't work with the way the time jumps seem to be going..)

Well, they better show it soon, whatever it is. And they better move Eun Soo to another time period soon. So I can see the time travelling. I always wondered why Hwata's medical instruments were in that cute little wooden box. Probably because the original case she carried -- of iron or steel or modern alloy-- didn't last throughout her time-jumping.

October 10, 2012 at 5:34 PM

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She took her cell with her, remember when CY requested her to take care of Queen , she have thought they have a movie production or something so she can call the police and she moved her phone around to find the signal :)

October 10, 2012 at 7:55 AM

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Using poison twice may not be very creative for the plot but I thought it was consistent with DH's character. He's a coward genius craving for power. He's got no great support, no army, no money...his only advantage is his knowledge - and poison is the most attacking option he's got. One he can afford, able to carry out sneakily (he can't confront anyone head on - too weak for that) and one that guarantees results, esp since he knew ES couldn't cure herself. Remember how he balked at her being a heavenly doctor?

October 10, 2012 at 11:33 AM

October 10, 2012 at 1:08 PM

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I absolutely agree! Poison is his specialty so it only makes sense to use poison again.. especially since he knows ES and the head doctor doesnt know or have the cure. Its a smart move on his part.. props to him :(
Eventually if they can;t find the cure they will have to go see him... a win win situation for DH.... unless they find the cure :O !!!!

October 10, 2012 at 11:06 PM

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I agree with this. He needed to keep Eun Soo as a card so Ki Chul wouldn't kill him, but he couldn't just pick her up and take her away. Hence the poison. What other sneaky method would have been available to him on such short notice, especially since Eun Soo gave up on the last diary pages?

And like many commenters here, I also wish he'd accidentally poison himself.